Ghost Of Hiroshima (Rewrite)
by WillowwindTheCat
Summary: What if Carrie wasn't telekinetic? What if she could summon a ghost? What if said ghost became more than just Carrie's servant? Amineko, a ghost killed by the Hiroshima Bomb, befriends Carrie after the shower incident. Time passes, and Amineko becomes Carrie's friend and defender. But will their friendship bud into something greater? Read to find out.
1. Prologue

**Ghost Of Hiroshima**

**(Stephen King owns Carrie, not me. But she needs love, and I'm gonna give it to her. This is dedicated to Brainstormandthethinker for their advice in a comment.)**

**Prologue**

_**(Amineko's P.O.V.)**_

How long had it been...more than 20 years since I died? I wasn't very sure anymore. It wasn't important anyway; thinking about it wouldn't brink me back to life. I was 23 years old when the bomb struck Hiroshima, right at the end of World War II. To this day, I've never known why it happened, or why innocent people had to die in such a manner. I still remember what had happened that morning...

* * *

_**Dear Amineko,**_

_** I am very disappointed. I am disappointed in you for not being able to live up to your duties as a woman, and I am disappointed in myself for wasting my time with a barren woman. Because of this, I am ending our relationship. I'm sorry, but I wanted a son, something that you obviously can't provide me with. So you are of no use to me.**_

_** Katsumi**_

_ I reread the letter from my ex-fiancee over and over again, my eyes wide in disbelief. Not long ago, I sent him a letter that I was barren, unable to start a family with him. Since he was in the war, it was a few days before I got a reply from him. I was worried of his reaction, and the reaction was very bad. Now, my lover had fallen out of love with me. I had been sitting at the table for breakfast when my older brother Akio came in with the mail. After I read Katsumi's letter a number of times, Akio came behind me and put his hand on my shoulder in a loving fashion._

_ "I'm sorry, Amineko-chan," he told me._

_ I stared up at Akio with teary eyes._

_ "I...I was afraid he'd leave..." I whispered. My hand touched my belly, a habit I had recently developed. "I'm disappointed in myself, too."_

_ "Don't be disappointed," said Akio. "It's not your fault. Something just went wrong somehow. Katsumi doesn't know what a good woman he's just given up."_

_ "Who would want a barren woman, Akio-san? I'm no woman if I can't have children. All I wanted was to start a family with Katsumi, but I can't."_

_ "You can always adopt, Amineko-chan. And besides, not all men care about bearing children. You could marry, adopt a child, and still have the family you wanted."_

_ "I suppose..." I muttered. I stood up, pulling my mahogany kimono tighter against my small body. "We're out of milk. I'm going to the store."_

_ I caught a glimpse of Akio's face; he was sad, for me, no doubt. But what happened happened. There was nothing I could do about Katsumi. I stepped outside, slipping my sandals on that rested by the door._

_ "I'll be back in a few minutes, Akio-san," I promised. Oh...how wrong I was..._

_ My trip to the store would've been just a simple 5-minute walk. I could've back at home in no time. But no...not today...There was suddenly a bright flash, catching my attention. I turned my head, seeing a great explosion in the sky. But...it was silent, in a really eerie way. It was then I started feeling the heat, growing hotter and hotter against my skin. Terrified, I ran for cover, but as the heat of the explosion grew, I fell to the ground as my skin literally started to melt. I cried in pain, but soon, it was all over._

_ Well...not __**all**__ over..._

* * *

I was in Maine, the next part of my many travels around the world. I wasn't ready to move on yet. Something was holding me back...but...I wasn't sure what. I lied in a tree near a school, staring up at the clouds blankly.

"Help..." a soft voice suddenly whispered. I jumped, surprised. My gaze shifted all around, but I saw no one. "Help...please...someone..." the voice moaned again.

"Who's there?" I called out.

"Can you please help me?" asked the voice, which I now discovered was in my head."They're throwing bloody tampons at me."

Lucky, since English was a language I picked up on my travels, I could understand most of the voice was saying.

"Where are you?" I thought in reply.

"The showers..." said the voice. "You can hear the laughter."

So, I levitated from the tree, and listened for the laughter. Surely, someone was genuinely looking for my help. I had no idea how they managed to contact me, but I assumed it was apart of the phantom powers I gained. Suddenly, I heard it. Quickly, I made my way to the noise. It came from the school I was resting by, from a window. I peeked in, and gasped when I saw a girl backed into a corner, almost in tears, while a crowd of other girls assaulted her with bloody pads and tampons. I was disgusted at such behavior. This must's been what I was called for.

I zoomed high into the sky, until I was satisfied with the height I had gone up. Then, I allowed myself to fall back down, speeding faster and faster towards the window. IT was then I heard the loud sound of shattering glass. The laughter stopped dead.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_**(Carrie's P.O.V.)**_

What happened? I wasn't sure; my eyes were clamped shut. The laughter...it still echoed in my head. What was worse, the smell of blood still filled my nose, fueling the fear I still had of bleeding to death. But now, the laughter was gone, In fact, the laughter turned into screaming. Then, there was silence. My hands were covering my eyes. Spreading my fingers apart, I dared to take a peek.

Standing over me was a woman, one whom I've never met before. I stared up at her with confusion. Where had she come from? How did she get here? Was she a teacher or a parent? I had no clue.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked, as she knelt down in front of me. I was taken aback. Was this really happening? Whas she...being concerned about me?

Dumbfounded, I nodded slowly.

"Let me help you."

The woman extended her hand to me, and I stared at it, my eyes wide with disbelief. I just couldn't believe it. No one had ever offered their hand to help me before. I had to be dreaming. I was shaken out of my thoughts when the woman started to look confused, and I quickly gave her my hand to prevent her from thinking badly of me. The woman smiled, dimples showing on her cheeks.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked softly.

"Oonishi Amineko," the woman greeted, her voice carrying a Japanese accent. "Call me Amineko. You never told me your name."

"I'm Carrie."

"Ah...Carrie..." said the woman. She smiled at me, her brown eyes shimmering. "How pretty."

I wasn't sure how to react to the kind words. This all had to be some dream, or or my imagination, or even some cruel prank. Such words have never been spoken to me before.

"Are you alright? I saw those other girls attacking you. What was that about?"

I bit my lip, unable to answer. If she knew, she'd leave me. I didn't want that; not when I had the chance to prevent it. Amineko cocked a slim eyebrow, and I feared that she would start asking painful questions.

"You do not have to tell me," she said, to my surprise.

"Thank you..." I murmured.

The woman bent down, starting to pick up the bloody napkins and tampons.

"What a mess..." I heard her grumble. "Some people...Bad parenting, I bet. Not in Japan, though..."

I shuffled awkwardly, before remembering that I had to get to my next class.

"Er...I...I should really get going..." I began, continuing to watch Amineko clean up the mess Chris and her gang left behind.

Amineko looked up at me, and gave me a smile.

"Of course. Oh, and, I think you should be told this...put some tissue in your underwear. It will hold the period blood until you get some pads."

I blinked. Period? Was that what was going on? I sighed in relief. I wasn't dying at all. Amineko turned and left the shower room.

* * *

I walked off the school bus, and headed for home. I had three things on my mind. First I wondered how Mama would react to my period. She was a very religious woman, and could make just about anything sound like blasphemy. Only time would tell... Secondly, I hoped Chris would come after me. I had reported her and her gang to my gym teacher after I had left the shower room, and they all got detention, at least, that's what I heard. The thought of Chris plotting revenge on me caused me to shudder. Finally, I thought about Amineko. I was still in shock from before. Not since the 1st grade has someone been so kind to me. It all felt like some sort of trick. Maybe Amineko was some new student who heard about me, and decided to play me for a fool to get on Chris' good graces? I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking like that.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a soft noise. Turning my head, I spotted a small black rabbit sitting on the sidewalk behind me. It sat up, its long ears perked. What a rare sight. I usually didn't see many wild animals, especially rabbits. The rabbit's nose twitched, and it suddenly began hopping towards me. My eyes widened in surprise. The little black thing came up to my leg, and sniffed me. I shuddered. I had read that wild animals could bite, and carried diseases. Not wanting any of that, I slowly started to pull away. I continued my walk, and eventually made it home.

* * *

I sat on my bed, feeling bitter. I had been put in the Prayer Box...again...Why? Why would Mama do this to me? On my birthday? Well, I shouldn't have been surprised. It is Mama we're talking about. Everything is sin with her. Well, at least I got period pads as a birthday present...it was better than nothing. I lied on my back and closed my eyes.

"Happy birthday, Carrie," I whispered to myself

Sometime later, I had fallen asleep. But I could've sworn I heard something before I feel asleep. Something along the lines of:

"Shiawasena tanjō-bi, Kyarī-chan."

* * *

**(A/N: "****Shiawasena tanj****ō-bi, ****K****yarī-chan****" means, "Happy birthday, Carrie-chan". Expect more Japanese in this story, and look for the Author's Notes for translations. Sorry if this chapter is quite short. :\ I wanted to get something out to the followers.)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_**(Amineko's P.O.V.)**_

* * *

"Konichiwa, Carrie-chan," I greeted the young brunette the next morning as she exited the front door to her house.

Carrie jumped, no doubt startled by seeing me. But who could blame her? I admit, I followed her to her house, and I watched over her for a bit. But I had good intentions. Since the shower incident yesterday, i wanted to make sure that she was alright. Sadly to say, I wasn't impressed with what I saw inside her house...especially that mother of hers...

"How long were you waiting out here?" asked the brunette. "And how did Mama not see you?"

"I've been here for a few hours," I replied to her first question. "And your mother couldn't see me because she wasn't allowed to. I hope you forgive such rude behavior, but I had to see how you were doing."

"I'm...I'm fine," said Carrie awkwardly.

"No, Carrie-chan...I saw what happened in there last night. Your mother put you in that small closet. She didn't even wish you a happy birthday."

"You...were in my house!?" exclaimed Carrie, her face turning pale. I bit my lip. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that...

"Well...yes...but I was only trying to check on you..."

Carrie looked at me with suspicion in her eyes.

"Why would you care about me?" she asked. "What have I done to get you to like me? Is this some sort of joke? Are you working with Chris to humiliate me somehow?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Carrie simply cut me off.

"I don't to hear it...just...just leave me alone..."

Carrie walked away in the direction of her school, and I watched her sadly. That Chris had to have done something to her that caused her to have such trust issues. I didn't want to hurt her; how could I? Then I remembered the gift I had gotten for her.

"Carrie-chan, wait," I called.

Carrie paused. I heard a small sigh escape from her, before she turned and looked back at me.

"I forgot to give you something," I continued. Reaching into my kimono, I pulled out a medium-sized present, wrapped in plain white paper. "It is not the prettiest gift in the world, but it was all I could afford with the money I scrapped up."

Carrie stared at me, the expression on her face unable to be determined. But eventually, she took the gift from me, and carefully opened it to reveal some needles, threads, and cloth of various colors. Her eyes widened. I rubbed my arm, a sheepish smile on my face.

"I, uh, I kind of had to check your room to see the things you liked," I explained. "I saw that you liked to sew...so..."

Carrie looked back up at me.

"Y-You...bought me this?" she asked softly.

"Of course. No one else gave you anything good for your birthday, so I thought I'd be that person."

"You didn't have to..."

"Carrie-chan," I chuckled, getting closer to the younger girl. "Please accept this humble gift as a sign of friendship. That's all I ask."

The brunette was quiet for a few moments, before looking up at me, and nodding. I swear I even saw a smile appearing on her face...

* * *

"Who's that girl next to Carrie White?"

"What's that loser doing with that girl?"

"Looks like we have another Carrie White on the bus."

This and more entered my ears as I rode on the school bus beside Carrie. I took no notice to the other students, but Carrie did. Her eyes gazed at the floor of the bus. I could feel that she was n pain, and I didn't like it one bit. Gingerly, my hand touched her shoulder.

"Carrie-chan, why do you feel pain?" I asked.

"Can't you hear them talking?" Carrie replied bitterly.

"Yes, I can."

"So...you should know why..."

I chuckled softly.

"Carrie-chan," I began. "I know why you feel pain from their words. No one likes to be insulted. But what I want to know is why you let it bother you. Do you honestly believe the things they call you to be true?"

Carrie hesitated to speak, but she eventually replied with," I honestly don't know what to believe anymore..."

I fell silent, unsure what to say next. The girl was obviously tortured to the point of being broken. Such a thought made me depressed...even more depressed than I had been while I was trying to cope with my death.

Just then, a girl turned in his seat, staring us. I looked up at her, and saw her hazel eyes glinting mischievously. My eyes narrowed.

"May I...help you?" I asked, cocking a brow.

"What's with the clothes?" the girl sneered. "You get them from your grandma's attic?"

"If you must know, girl, it is a traditional Japanese kimono, a symbol of my pride for my home county."

"Ugh, that voice..." said the girl in an annoyingly whiny tone. "Someone should teach you to talk better. Jeez, ugly clothing and and ugly voice? You're a perfect match for Carrie White."

"And what exactly is wrong with Carrie-chan?" I demanded.

""Carrie-chan?"" the girl snorted. "So you're stupid, too?"

I was beginning to lose my patience. Slowly, I leaned forward, towards the girl.

"Listen, child," my voice was slow and soft. "Where I come from, people could beat their children into behaving, producing well-behaved members of society. Now, I am not sure of what the parenting methods of Americans are, but, judging from what I have seen so far, your parents are pathetic at discipline."

"So?"

"So? Would you like to feel Japanese punishment?"

"You're no mother," sneered the girl. "Just some dumb student."

That _really_ struck a nerve. I clenched my fist, and gritted my teeth.

"Maybe not, but I am 24 years old and technically an adult. I have authority over you, you little _demon_."

"Try me."

The girl instantly regretted saying that, for seconds later, a large bruise caused the left side of her face to swell. She didn't cry, though. I threatened her with another blow if she dared. I sat back in my seat with a sigh of content. My eyes sifted over to Carrie. I could see the corners of her mouth pulling upwards in a small smirk.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**(Carrie's P.O.V.)**_

* * *

Amineko was starting to fascinate me. She had treated me in a way no one had ever done before, even if it meant that she would suffer the same abuse I suffered. I...I was honestly surprised. The fears I had of Amineko playing a trick on me were fading, especially after she had struck one of Chris' friends (which was really satisfying to see). No one would dare to do something like that in the name of a prank. Amineko's kindness had to be genuine.

At the moment, Amineko was walking alongside me to lunch. We had made an agreement earlier in the day that she could walk with me to my classes and to lunch, but other than that, she'd have to stay out of sight. Not that I wanted her away from me, but she was technically a school intruder, and she did assault someone. She could get into trouble because of me, and I didn't want that. Luckily, the school's faculty didn't monitor the halls.

I heard soft whispering from other students as we walked past them in the corridor.

"Chris is gonna beat their asses," one student whispered.

"That Carrie White's got guts to bring a bodyguard to school," another muttered.

I immediately put up my guard.

"They're whispering about us," I told Amineko.

"Mmm-hmm," the woman replied.

I was taken aback.

"B-But, they're going to treat you badly, now!"

"Carrie-chan, I am not worried about them," Amineko said. "And neither should you. They can talk as much as they want; they cannot...no, they WILL not touch you while I'm around."

"...Their words still hurt though..." I muttered.

Suddenly, Amineko stopped in front of me, forcing me to stop. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and looked into my eyes with a stern, yet gentle gaze.

"Carrie-chan, listen to me," the woman began. "I don't know how serious the harassment is on you, but I know a thing or two about being bullied by fellow students. When I was a girl in my old home in Hiroshima, I was very skinny. I was quite the picky eater, and I grew so thin my bones were almost visible. My clothes were sometimes too big for me. My classmates would call me names and hit me. They'd say, "Anata wa minikui," which meant, "You are ugly." A common nickname they'd give me was "Sutikku Kodomo", or "Stick Child". I was miserable for a few years, never having a friend."

"So, what happened?" I asked.

"A girl felt sorry for me, Akari was her name. She came to me one day and asked if I wanted to play after school. I said yes, and since then we were close friends. I didn't let the bullying bother me so much anymore, because inside, I knew I had a friend who cared for me. Carrie-chan, if you'd let me, I can be your Akari. I can help you to break free from the pain if you'll allow me to be your friend. Would you like that? Would you like me to be your friend?"

"...Yes..." I replied softly. "I would like that. No...I'd love that, Amineko."

A wide, toothy smile appeared on Amineko's tan face, and she suddenly ran her fingers through my hair. I shivered, unused to such a touch, and I grabbed her hand. She pulled away from me.

"Sōrī," muttered the woman. "Forgive me."

* * *

I walked though the cafeteria alone, with Amineko waiting for me outside. As I headed for my table of solitude, I couldn't help but smile. A friend. I had a friend. Not since the first grade had I had a friend. I was happy...for the first time in a while, I was genuinely happy about something.

That happiness didn't last long, however.

I sat down at my table, distracted by my newly found friendship. But when I looked up, a few pairs of eyes were staring at me, but the pair that scared me the most, were a pair of icy blue eyes: Chris'. I jumped up with a gasp. Why was Chris and her gang sitting at my table? I glanced around the cafeteria; there were no other seats available for someone like me to sit. But that didn't matter now. I had to put distance between myself and Chris, and fast.

"Carrie White..." Chris hissed as I turned on my heel, fueling my fear.

All of a sudden, she jumped in front of me. I swallowed, and looked at the ground.

"You're gonna get it," Chris snarled. "You got me banned from the prom, you little bitch." Here, she grabbed my face, forcing me to look her in the eye. "And then you have the gall to bring someone here to hit my friend? I'm going to fucking kill you and that Jap."

Chris pushed me away, and I rushed off, terrified. I thought about Amineko. Maybe she could...no, what was I thinking? She couldn't handle Chris, no one could. I hid in the first sign of cover I could find: the garbage cans. When I was in privacy, I hugged my knees, and started to cry.

"Help..." I suddenly found myself thinking. "If anyone's out there, please help..."

This was a thing I did sub-consciously. I wasn't sure what it was, but it would always happen when I felt a kind presence near-by. I'd mentally ask for help. It never worked...wait...Yesterday, in the showers...I heard a voice...a familiar voice.

"I'm here," the voice, same as the one from yesterday, replied inside my head. "Do you need help, Carrie-chan?"

"A-Amineko?"

"Yes, Carrie-chan, it's me," Amineko replied.

"How'd you know it was me?" I thought.

"I recognized your voice from yesterday," Amineko told me. "I didn't know I was telepathic."

"Neither did I," I said.

"Are you alright? You were asking for help, Carrie-chan."

"Oh...uh.." I wasn't sure what to say. No way was I putting Amineko in danger. Chris was dangerous, and Amineko could get hurt. Amineko may have been older, but she was smaller than Chris, and noticeably scrawny. Maybe she could get in a few hits, but that was only if she was lucky. So, I had to lie. "It's nothing you should worry about, Amineko..."

"Are you sure?" asked the Asian woman. "If someone's giving you trouble, I can come in there."

"I'll be fine, Amineko, I promise," I thought.

"Alright, sweetie. Remember, I'm your Akari."

"Thank you, Amineko."

I sat back against the trash cans with a soft sigh. Then, I finally ate my lunch...or at least, a small bite. Trash was soon being thrown over me by reckless classmates. I sighed.

* * *

"So, where do you live, Amineko?" I asked the woman as we walked out to the bus stop.

"I haven't found a place yet," she replied. "I got here yesterday, but I never thought to look."

"No job either, huh?"

"Job?" Amineko repeated, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Carrie-chan, I haven't had a job in over 20 years."

"What!?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"Well, why would I need a job if I can't eat or drink?" asked the woman, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "I don't need a job, and a I don need a house. Now a good cemetery is my sort of thing."

I blinked, unsure how to respond to that. Amineko smiled at me, and another chuckle escaped her lips.

"May I tell you something, Carrie-chan?"

"Uh-huh."

"Remember when I said I was 24? Well, if I were alive now, I'd be in my 50's. I died in 1945, in Hiroshima. Your American people killed me and many others with an atomic bomb. So, you could say that I was a ghost."

I simply stood there, staring at Amineko, wide-eyed and mouth-agape. I couldn't believe it. It had to be some sort of joke. There was no way.

"Don't believe me?" asked the woman.

"It's kind of hard to believe..." I replied with a slight chuckle.

Amineko didn't speak. Instead, she grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand towards her. My eyes widened as my hand went through Amineko's stomach. I kid you not, my hand went _through _her. Quickly I yanked away with a yelp. Amineko chuckled once again.

"I had that feeling you'd react like that," she told me. Then, her smile faded. "Do you...not like ghosts?"

"I had no idea they existed..." I gasped, still shivering in fear. "And the though of them is pretty terrifying."

"Well, now you know. I hope this doesn't hurt our friendship in any way..."

"As long as you don't do anything like ghosts in scary stories do, I think our friendship will be fine."

We both let out small laughs. We both continued to walk, finally exiting the school. I was genuinely curious about Amineko now, especially after finding out what I found out. I was also quite nervous. I still didn't know much about Amineko, and now that I knew she was a ghost, that brought up even more concerns.

No, what was I thinking. She wouldn't hurt me. She had no reason to, and she seemed like a nice woman from what I seen. I couldn't let something like this ruin what could become a good friendship. I would just have to hope for the best.

* * *

**(A/N: So...the big reveal...not all epic-y and dramatic as you thought, huh? Please...I already gave away the ghost thing in the title and the summary. Trying to build up on it would be like what Twilight did. And I **_**HATE**_** Twilight...Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. It's the fans that motivate me! :3)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**(Amineko's P.O.V.)**_

**(A/N: Ok, before we begin this chapter, I need to lay something down. I usually have seen or read the source material for my fanfictions. Now, for my Earthbound fanfic, I never played it, as I have no way of getting it, but the amount of research I've done makes it seem as if I have. Carrie, however, is different. You see, I take things like bullying and harrassment very seriously, no matter what type of work it is. Carrie has an outrageous amount of cruelty in it. Yes, I realize that that's the case, and it makes Carrie's revenge more satisfying. But reading that makes me outrageously uncomfortable, and I can't bare to read or watch Carrie. My only request to you, my readers, is to please accept this work as me trying my hardest with the research I have. I'm grateful for all the fans of this story, and I hope this fanfic is recognized by many as a great work. Enjoy!)**

* * *

"Now, tell me again what I said about Mama."

"Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not mention religion. Do not use any phantom powers until we get to your room. And, if Margaret says something offensive, just smile and nod."

"Good. Come on in."

Carrie led me inside her house for the first time as a guest. We had just finished going through the rules I had to follow when I was inside. Carrie had wanted to do research about me in a secluded place where there wouldn't be many disturbances. The only place that just barely matched that description was her bedroom. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to interact with Margaret much. Judging from how Carrie described her, ahe seemed like an irritating woman to live with.

Speak of the Devil.

I was face to face with Margaret not too soon after I walked into the living room. She stared up at me from her spot on the couch, and I stared back. Her gaze then shifted to Carrie.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"Mama, this is Amineko," Carrie introduced. "She's...new to the neighborhood, and goes to my school. We got a partner project, and I was wondering if Amineko could stay over for a while to work on it?"

Margaret stared at me once more, looking me up and down.

"Alright," said Margaret. "But I want her gone before dinner. I know her kind isn't Christian, and she won't be able to pray for the food."

"Her _**kind**_!?" I thought. I could feel my cheeks heat up slightly with anger.

"Ignore her," Carrie's voice entered my head.

"I'll try my best," I replied.

* * *

"So...your mother..." I began as I sat beside Carrie on her bed.

"Yeah..." replied Carrie awkwardly. She cleared her throat.

I gave Carrie a small smile.

"No need to feel bad, Carrie-chan," I told her. "Your mother chose to present herself that way. You had no control over that."

"But that was embarrassing," the girl said. "No wonder I have no friends. The other kids are right. My mother's a freak and so am I."

I frowned, and suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"The others are wrong, Carrie-chan," I said, sub-consciously tightening my grip. "You are no freak."

It was then I saw fear in Carrie's eyes.

"A-Amineko...that hurts...really badly..."

I immediately let go of her wrist, and looked away.

"Forgive me."

There was a silence between us for some time. I felt ashamed of myself for allowing anger to get the better of me. I felt like such a fool. But not too long later, Carrie touched my arm.

"We should get to that research we planned on doing," she said in a soft voice.

"Oh, yes, of course," I replied, equally quiet.

Carrie reached into her backpack and pulled out a notepad and a pencil. She looked up and me.

"So, what should we start with?" I asked.

"Hmm...how about a list of the powers you have?"

"Alright...this'll be tough...I'm still learning about new powers now. But I'll give you a list of the powers I know I have."

Carrie nodded, and prepared to write.

"Let's see," I began. "Well, there the usual ghost powers: teleportation, invisibility, intangibility, levitation, that sort of stuff. I'm not sure telepathy's a usual ghost power, though. Maybe that's something special I have. I also have increased strength. I really like that power. Oh! And I can shapeshift. I especially like shifting into animals, mainly rabbits."

"Rabbits?" Carrie repeated, her eyes widening.

I nodded, smirking. I could tell she was remembering her rabbit encounter from the other day.

"I think that's about it on powers. Overall, I just do typical ghost things."

"Ok," muttered Carrie as she wrote on the notepad. "Hmm, should we talk about motives?"

"Motives?"

"Ghosts always seem to have a motives in ghost stories. What's your motives? What's keeping you from moving on to the next life?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure why I haven't passed on yet," I admitted. "I mean, I have no vengence against Americans for the bombing. If I did, I would've killed you before rather than helped you. I just had a feeling that I needed to stay on Earth for a bit longer. I'm not sure what the feeling was or why I was feeling it, but I've been wandering the globe for over 20 years trying to figure it out."

Carrie put her hand to her chin in thought.

"Maybe it has something to do with me?" she suggested.

"You think so?" I replied.

"Yeah...I mean...think about it. You came to my aid when I asked for help mentally. That means that I had to have summoned you. Do you think that you were meant to help me?"

"Partially..." I whispered, coming to my own conclusion. "You say that you must've summoned me. The only way you were able to do that was if you were capable of mentally speaking to ghosts. I was acting on hunches that I would be needed. You were mentally calling out for help, no hunches involved. Maybe _I'm _not the one who's telepathic, maybe _you_ are."

Carrie shook her head.

"That can't be. I've never heard anyone else's thoughts before. It has to be you who's telepathic."

"Maybe you can only talk to ghosts?"

"If only we could test it..."

"Too bad there's only one of me," I pouted. Then I smiled. "You're quite smart, Carrie-chan. You see? You're no freak; you're intelligent. Being smart is what makes you successful, not beauty or popularity. Never forget that, my dear."

Carrie looked away, but I could see that she, too, was smiling.

* * *

"See you, tomorrow, Carrie-chan," I called behind me as I exited the Whites' home. I closed the door, and was off on my own.

Hmm...where to go...where to go... I wasn't sure what to do now in my free time. I didn't want to disturb Carrie anymore today. I looked up and saw the sky turning a fiery orange. I walked along the sidewalk, looking for no destination in particular. I was silent, both mentally and physically. The neighborhood was empty of people. I snorted. Even if the place was crowded, no one would want to be near some foreigner. Margaret's word's echoed in my head.

_Her kind..._

_ Her kind..._

_ Her kind..._

I didn't belong here. Was I even wanted by anyone other than Carrie-chan? I doubted it. I paused in the sidewalk.

"There's no reason to be concerned about what they say or think," I told myself. "I have Carrie-chan, and she has me. We don't have to worry about the others."

As much as I wanted to believe my own words, I was having some difficulty.

I walked on, until I was surrounded by tombstones. I smiled bitterly. Surrounded by others like me...well, they weren't Japanese, but we were all dead, something we had in common. I lied on the ground in an empty spot in the cemetery, and allowed myself to sink into the earth. There, I now have a home...

* * *

The next day, Carrie and I arrived at the school in the school bus, same as yesterday. A van pulled up in the near-by parking lot not long after. I didn't mind it, but Carrie sure did. I saw her look back in with fear in her eyes. I looked at her with confusion.

"Everything ok?" I asked.

"Yeah..." replied Carrie, flashing a smile at me, which I returned.

We walked inside, simply wandering the corridors since Carrie's classes had yet to start. But I kept noticing out of the corner of my eye that Carrie was growing worried about something that seemed to be behind us. Curious, I turned my head to see a girl, surrounded by a few other girls. This girl had strawberry blond hair, with eyes like ice. She was the head of the group, and seemed to be headed right in our direction.

"Who's that?" I asked in confusion.

Carrie touched my cheek and pushed my head forward.

"Don't worry about her," said Carrie. I noticed her pace was faster. "Come on, we should go somewhere else."

Carrie pulled my hand, and we walked faster. I looked over my shoulder. The group of girls were hot on our heels.

"Carrie-chan, are we running away from these girls?"

The younger brunette didn't reply, but attempted to pull me faster. It was then that I had enough. We reached one empty corridor when I pulled away from Carrie.

"Wh-what are you doing!?" Carrie cried.

"Carrie-chan, I'm not going some girl terrorize you," I said with a stern voice. "Besides, I'm a ghost, remember? I can handle this."

I turned to see the blue-eyed girl, which I assumed was Chris. Next to her was the girl who I struck before.

"That's her, Chris," the girl said as she pointed at me. "That's the bitch who slapped me."

"Well, well, well," Chris had said, stopping in front of me. "I see we have a Jap at our school now. And look, she's hanging out with Carrie, the freak."

I heard a fearful whimper escape from Carrie behind me.

"Now, now," I said gently. "Let's not resort to racial slurs. You should know better."

"Let's get something straight, bitch," Chris growled, ignoring me. She shoved her face into mine. "I'm the head of this school, and you and Carrie White are at the bottom."

"Oh, I doubt that," I replied. "You're no teacher or headmaster. Someone has to be over you."

"Oh, a smart-ass, are you?" Chris seethed, clenching her fist.

She swung at me, but my hand caught her fist.

"Huh?" the girl murmured in confusion. The girls that surrounded Chris gasped.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit surprised at myself as well. I never fought anyone before, and the sight of my small hand clutching Chris' larger fist so easily was astonishing. It's official; increased strength was my favorite power.

"You fucker," hissed the blue-eyed girl. She pulled back, cracking her knuckles, before advancing on me again. One fist aimed at my stomach, and the other aimed at my face. In seconds, I was standing behind Chris.

"What!?" Chris exclaimed as her fists hit nothing but air.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," I said, shaking my head. "This is pointless. Stop this right now."

Chris glared back at me, but suddenly a smile appeared on her face...a rather sadistic one...

"Alright then, I'll just have to punish your little "Carrie-chan" instead," she snarled. She started advancing on Carrie. Carrie cried out fearfully, and started to run away, but Chris caught her by the hair, pulling her back.

Now, Chris had taken it too far. She could fight me (and fail) if she wanted, but she would not hurt Carrie...not on my watch. I lunged at her, grabbing her hair as she did to Carrie. I yanked, hard.

"Ahh!" yelped Chris, but I ignored her pain. She deserved no sympathy from me.

"Let me tell _you _something, Chris," I said in a quiet voice. "I consider myself to be a lover, not a fighter. But there are some things I will not stand for. You will _not _hurt Carrie-chan. You will _not_ harass her. And if you foolishly decide to, there will be severe consequences."

I released Chris, and went to Carrie's side. I held her hand, flashed her a smile, and led her away.

"That was...pretty brave..." the girl whispered. "No one's ever done that before. No one's...ever stood up for me like that before..."

"I had nothing to lose," I said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm your friend, Carrie. Friends stick out for each other."

Carrie leaned a bit closer to me, which made me smile.

"I'll get you both..." I heard Chris growl behind us. "I'll make you pay, you bitchy Jap. I'll choke you with that damn nightgown you've got on."

I smirked.

"Good luck with that," I called out behind me.

Carrie and I shared a light chuckle.

* * *

**(A/N: Whew! This one was a workout to type. My apologies for the wait. I have so many things to do...Hope everyone's enjoying the fic so far!)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**(Carrie's P.O.V.)**_

* * *

It was the weekend, finally. No school meant no Chris, no gossip, and no worries for the next two days (well, maybe one day since tomorrow was "home church", but besides that, I had a good feeling about this weekend). This was my first weekend with a friend, and I was determined to enjoy myself.

I put on my clothes, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Mama set it down in front of me, and I was about to scarf down the contents, when she gave me a glare.

"Carrie, you know you're supposed to pray before **every** meal," said Mama sternly.

I frowned, and looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Mama," I muttered. "I was just a bit excited. My friend's coming over again."

"Oh, that "Am-i-ne-ko" girl," Mama replied. I could hear the disgust in her voice. "Well, I suppose we'd better hurry and eat. No non-Christian's eating anything from this table."

"Not like she needs to eat, anyway..." I said to myself with a smirk.

After praying, I ate my breakfast rapidly. I had just stuffed the last of my scrambled eggs in my mouth, when I heard light knocking on the front door. I rushed to open it, and there stood Amineko.

"Konichiwa," she chirped. "My, you look pretty today."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "Come on, we can go to my room."

Amineko was about to walk with me to my bedroom, when Mama interrupted.

"What's the hurry?" said Mama. "Come talk to me, girl. I think I should get to know you better."

"Oh?" said Amineko, looking a bit unsure. "Alright...I suppose..."

Amineko walked inside, and sat on the couch. I sighed, and sat beside her. Why did Mama have to make everything worse? I feared Amineko wouldn't be able to handle her, and leave.

"Amineko, be strong," I thought. "Please. Don't let her drive you away."

"I'm not going anywhere, Carrie-chan," Amineko replied in my head. "But I will be strong. I know she's gonna start attacking my race, and I don't want to, as you Americans would say, "freak out"."

"Are you listening to me?" Mama's voice suddenly entered my ears. I realized that she was sitting on the arm chair near the couch, glowering at us impatiently. "I just asked you a question, "Amy-neck-o"."

"It's Amineko," corrected Amineko politely. "And forgive me, my mind tends to wander at times."

"Of course it did," Mama sneered. "Now, I'll ask you again. Where do you live?"

"Where do I live?" Amineko repeated, taken aback.

"Yes, are you deaf?"

"Er...no, I was just a bit surprised. I live in the northern part of town."

"Near the graveyard?" asked Mama, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes," Amineko replied. I could practically see the gears in her head turning, coming up with an effective lie. "You see, my family is quite poor, and we could only afford a little house built near the graveyard."

"Is that so?" asked Mama, leaning forward in her chair. "Then why haven't I seen your parents? In fact, I don't think anyone in the entire town's mentioned you. How long have you been here?"

"Almost a week."

"Then why haven't I heard about your family yet? Everyone knows everyone in this town. You should be no exception...unless your little Japanese family thinks it's too good for the rest of us to see them."

Amineko bit her lip hard. Had she not been a ghost, she would've drawn blood. She cleared her throat.

"No," said Amineko in a voice that was forced to be calm. "My family is just full of shy people. They will show themselves in time. But I'd prefer you not speak about my family that way. We do not see ourselves as better than you."

"We'll see," was all Mama said.

Amineko nodded slowly, most likely to get the conversation over with.

"Are we free to go?"

"Alright," Mama replied. "I trust you'll be gone by dinner, "Ameneki"?"

Amineko and I sighed.

"Yes, Ms. White," the ghost said.

"Go on, then. I'll be checking up on you." I noticed Mama glance at Amineko when she said that.

I pulled Amineko's hand, and we rushed to my room.

"Finally!" I shouted excitedly. I immediately slapped my hands over my mouth, and felt a blush appear on my cheeks. "Sorry...I'm just a bit excited," I muttered. "This is a very special day for me."

Amineko didn't reply. I looked at her, and saw her rubbing her temples. She was talking to herself in her native tongue.

"Kuso on'na," she said angrily."Kanojo wa watashi o bujoku suru tame ni aete? Watashi wa onryōdattara..."

I got the feeling that she was still angry at Mama. I gave her a worried look.

"Amineko, are you alright?"

Amineko looked at me, fury in her eyes. Startled, I stepped back. I remembered before, when she squeezed my wrist. What if she did something worse? I swallowed hard. But after a few minutes of staring at each other, Amineko looked away, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Forgive me," she grumbled. "Forgive me for using such bad language, but, that "bakayarou" is driving crazy! She can "notare jine", for all I care!"

I was taken aback. I wasn't sure what Amineko had said, but the hostility in her voice told me that her words meant something bad. I slowly placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but soon calmed herself.

"Ok...ok, I feel better now," said the woman.

I gave her a gentle smile.

"Let's enjoy our Saturday together," I told her softly. "Let's try to ignore what everyone else says. This is our day to be happy."

Amineko returned the smile.

"You're a wise girl, Carrie-chan."she cooed.

"I'm only saying what you'd probably say." I replied, shrugging.

The Asian woman let a laugh escape her lips, and gave my head a pat.

"So, what do you want to do first?" she asked.

"Well, on Saturdays, Mama has me do prayer sessions in the Prayer Box. Since you came today, she can't do that."

A triumphant look appeared on Amineko's tan face, causing me to smile.

"Hmm," I muttered. "How's about you help me with my sewing? I'm making a new skirt to wear. I even used that new fabric you got me for my birthday."

Amineko's smile vanished. She tilted her head.

"Sewing, huh?" she said. "I haven't really done much sewing when I was alive, but I'll see what I can do."

"I'll teach you a few things, don't you worry," I promised.

* * *

Amineko's fingers shivered slightly as she attempted to put the needle I gave her through two pieces of cloth. I observed her face. Her brow was furrowed, and she was biting her lip. A small smile appeared on my face. She wanted to be perfect; she wanted to impress me. I was...honored...My hand gently touched hers.

"Let me help you with that," I said softly. I guided her hand, helping her to sew the cloth pieces together. As she continued to sew, I watched her carefully, helping her out when she needed it.

"I...I think I'm getting the hang of it," said Amineko as she began to smile.

"Good job," I praised her.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Carrie-chan," Amineko whispered to me.

My cheeks grew warm, and I looked down. She tilted my head back up and beamed at me.

"No need to be shy, dear. No one will judge or insult you here...not while I'm around."

I looked away again, feeling my blush get even hotter. I knew Amineko meant well, but I still felt so nervous. I only hoped she would be patient with me...

* * *

Some hours passed. Mama did as she said, and occasionally checked in on us. Luckily, she simply peeked in, and left without causing any problems...at least until some time later.

Amineko wanted to show me her shape-shifting powers, and she turned into the little black rabbit I met before. I was playing with her in that form for a while, completely forgetting Mama. When Mama showed up, it was then I realized that it was too late for Amineko to change back to her human form.

"Where's your Asian friend?" Mama asked as she stepped into my room.

I swallowed hard, and I scanned my brain for a good lie.

"She's hiding," I said quickly.

"Hiding?" replied Mama, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we were just playing hide-and-seek, and she went to go hide."

"Hide-and-seek? Aren't you a little old for that. No matter; I want you to answer me this. Where did that _animal_ come from?"

My gaze shifted to the black rabbit. Amineko looked up at me, her big, brown eyes shimmering.

"It's Amineko's pet rabbit..." I lied. "I was just playing with her for a moment before I went to look for Amineko."

"I will not tolerate animals in this house," snapped Mama, reaching for Amineko. "Especially those deemed unclean by our Lord. I will dispose of this unclean pest. You tell your friend to leave, as she can't accept our beliefs."

"Wait, Mama-" I began, but I paused when I saw Amineko roll back her lips and hiss at Mama. The rabbit then swiped at Mama with her paw, drawing blood.

I gasped, and rushed to pick Amineko up. Mama glared at the rabbit.

"Damn, unclean thing..." she spat. "Carrie, get rid off it now. And hurry and find that Japanese girl. She's not allowed back here. Hurry up then. You need some prayer in the Prayer Box."

"Mama, please, you don't understand!" I tried to say, but I soon regretted it when Mama slapped me hard in the face. I staggered back, and fell onto my bottom. My eyes stung as tears threatened to fall from them.

Amineko turned to look me in the face, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Then she looked at Mama. Suddenly, a low snarling came from the rabbit. Amineko slowly began to change her form, becoming her original human form before Mama's eyes. Mama stepped back, her eyes filled with terror.

"A demon sent from the pits of Hell!" Mama screeched.

Amineko stood between me and Mama protectively. Her hands clenched into fists, and I could see the woman shaking.

"How dare you..." began Amineko softly. "How dare you strike her. I tried to tolerate you, I really did. You can insult me as you please. You can insult my race, my country, and my family. But you do not," here, her hand suddenly gripped Mama's throat. "I repeat, do NOT hurt Carrie-chan..."

"A-Amineko!?" I yelped, astonished by this new side of the Asian ghost.

"You have until I get to jū to get out of my sight...before my anger gets the better of me," Amineko continued. "And believe me, Margaret-san, you won't like me when I'm angry."

Amineko began counting in her native tongue, and I watched as my mother tried to get away.

"Ichi...ni...san..."

Amineko suddenly grew a lot taller, and she now towered over Mama.

"Shi...go...roku..."

Her voice got low, and started sounding less like a woman's speech, and more like the roar of some sort of beast. Her robe grew from mahogany to black, and it had more of a furry texture...no wait...her body was starting to become covered with fur!

"Shichi...hachi...kyū..."

A tail appeared on Amineko's rump, stumpy and small, like a rabbit's. Huge rabbit-like ears sprang from her head, replacing the human ones. Her legs changed into those of some sort of four-legged animal attempting to walk like a human. Claws sprang from the paws that replaced her hands and feet. My heart went so fast, I thought it would explode. What was this? This wasn't Amineko...it couldn't be...

Amineko never did make it to "jū". The creature that took Amineko's place still had Mama in its grip. She looked as if she'd suffocate because of how tightly the creature held her. Suddenly, the creature roared a horrid roar, and brought Mama to it's wickedly sharp, buck teeth...

* * *

**(A/N: Here are the translations for the Japanese used in this chapter: "****Kuso on'na" means "Damn woman", "Kanojo wa watashi o bujoku suru tame ni aete?" means "She dares to insult me?", "Watashi wa onry****ōdattara****..." means "If I were a vengeful ghost...", "bakayarou" means "dumb bastard", "notare jine" means "Go die in a ditch". And Amineko's last bit of dialouge at the end was the numbers 1 to 10 in Japanese.)**

**(Thanks to all of the people who have read and commented. You all are giving me the inspiration to continue with this fanfic. More will come in the future!)**


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